Analyst Update: Mobileye NV, Whiting Petroleum Corp, and Vascular Biogenics Ltd

Analysts are weighing in on automotive tech specialist Mobileye NV (NYSE:MBLY), oil-and-gas stock Whiting Petroleum Corp (NYSE:WLL), and biotech issue Vascular Biogenics Ltd (NASDAQ:VBLT). Here's a quick roundup of today's brokerage notes on MBLY, WLL, and VBLT.

• MBLY is up 0.9% at $40.14, shrugging off a downgrade to "neutral" at Goldman Sachs, which also cut its price target to $40. The stock is down 24% year-over-year, but has seen strong support from its rising 100-day moving average in recent months. While short interest has been rising on Mobileye NV, analysts remain upbeat. In fact, 10 out of 12 brokerage firms recommend buying the shares. 

• WLL is also overcoming negative analyst attention, as KLR Group, SunTrust Robinson, and Wunderlich all lowered their price targets on the stock, with the latter setting the lowest mark of $11. This is still a premium to current levels, though, with Whiting Petroleum Corp last seen at $8.97 -- 4.9% higher on the day. The stock recently gave up its perch above the $10 level, falling into negative year-to-date territory, and options traders have been betting on more downside. Specifically, WLL's 10-day put/call volume ratio at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) stands at 2.55 -- just 5 percentage points from a 12-month high. 

• A fresh "buy" rating and $11 price target from H.C. Wainwright has VBLT up 5.1% at $4.15. The analysts added "VBL's gene therapy has the advantages of better tissue-specific activity, lower toxicity, simpler dosing regimen, and is also able to incite a potent immune response against cancer." The bullish note is far from unusual for the stock, as every analyst that covers VBLT rates it a "strong buy." Looking back, Vascular Biogenics Ltd exploded higher earlier this month on upbeat drug news, but has since given back almost all those gains to sit in a 21% year-to-date hole -- though that's still better than the performance of this struggling sector peer. 

For other stocks in analysts' crosshairs, read Analyst Upgrades: Apple Inc., AstraZeneca plc (ADR), and Dicks Sporting Goods Inc and Analyst Downgrades: AT&T Inc., Sonic Corporation, and Southwest Airlines Co.